House of Hades: Resurrection of the Dead
by MudSkipper001
Summary: In the second installment of the story, we find Nico di Angelo aboard the Argo II, after Percy and Annabeth... you know. Hannah Grace Fredrickson, daughter of Poseidon and honorary daughter of Hera is missing. And Nico has vowed to find her. He also vowed to lead five of the seven to the House of Hades. If you haven't read Percy Jackson's Little Sister? before, I suggest you do.
1. Through the Mountains We Go

**_I'm back! MudSkipper001 here with a new story! The House of Hades: Resurrection of the Dead. _**

**_WARNING! THERE ARE INDEED SPOILERS IN THIS STORY! And this chapter contains chapter 1 of the _****_House of Hades_****_! (fan girl squeals) I've edited Hannah Grace into it, so please don't freak out if it's not the same as the one on King Rick's website._**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters except for Hannah Grace, Toby, and Lily, and any others you may see that don't look familiar. _**

**_Please read on, my minions!_**

**_Nico_**

_I'm looking at Hannah Grace and my heart starts to race._

_"Can I help you?" I ask, trying to look angry, but knowing that I'm failing epically. _

_"Have you seen Lily anywhere?" she asks, looking at anything but me. "I can't find her."_

_"No," I say. We're silent for a few minutes, but it feels like an eternity to me. I study her with concern and fear. If I don't leave, she'll be dead in the next hour. Or so I think. "Why?"_

_"No one has seen her since she went to find Toby. And I found him. He's with Tyson. But I can't find Lily."_

_"Have you tried Beast's stable?" Throughout the time we found him and built his stable, no one knows about it except the three of us._

_"No," she says. "Thanks." She starts to run away, but I catch her wrist. I still have enough time to leave, so it's okay if I go with her to the stable, right? Apparently not._

_"You can't go out there alone," I say. "I don't want your death on my conscience." She twists out of my grasp and takes off towards the woods at full sprint. "Hey, wait up!" I shout as I follow her. I decide that I won't catch her, so I shadow travel to her instead. _

_"Do you not understand the meaning of 'wait up'?" I ask her. She jumps two feet away, giving me the angriest glare I've ever seen. _

_"Curse you and your shadow travel!" she yells. I won't look at her, but ouch, that hurt. "Why don't you just go away?" Scratch that, what she just said hurt more. "I'm sorry," she says. "I didn't mean-"_

_"I get it," I say. "You hate me now. I'm leaving camp, anyways, so it's better this way." I let the shadows swallow me before she can see the tears on my cheeks. I appear in my cabin and break down on the floor. How could I be so stupid? She tried to apologize! Idiot!_

_I sit like that for what feels like hours when Lily explodes through the door. "Have you seen Hannah Grace?" she shouts._

_"No, she went looking for you at Beast's stable!" I say, hurrying to wipe away the trails of liquid on my face. _

_"She's missing."_

The dream shifts to another scene.

_The pit shook. Percy was the only thing keeping her from falling. He was barely holding on to a ledge the size of a bookshelf. _

_I leaned over the edge of the chasm, thrusting out my hand, but I was too far away to help. Hazel was yelling for the others, but even if they heard her over the chaos, they'd never make it in time._

_"Percy, let me go," Annabeth croaked. "You can't pull me up."_

_Percy's face was white with effort. _

_"Never," he said. He looked at me, fifteen feet above. "The other side, Nico! We'll see you there. Understand?"_

_My eyes widened. "But-"_

_"Lead them there!" Percy shouted. "Promise me!" _

_"I- I will."_

_Below them a voice laughed through the darkness. _Sacrifices. Beautiful sacrifices to wake the goddess.

_Percy tightened his wrist on Annabeth's. _

_"We're staying together," he promised. "You're not getting away from me. Never again."_

_"As long as we're together," Annabeth said. Hazel and I yelled for help, but no one came. _

_Then Percy let go of his tiny ledge, and he and Annabeth fell into endless darkness._

I woke up, still screaming for help as the scenes ran through my mind. _Calm down, _I told myself. It was just a dream. But neither of them were just dreams. They were memories. I looked around, trying to remember where I was and why I felt so fatigued. Oh, yeah. I was trapped in a jar. How could I forget that? I shuddered at the thought of the endless meditation and darkness. I was on the Argo II and we were on our way to save Percy and Annabeth and oh, did I mention the entire world?

How long has it been since Hannah Grace went missing? About a year, right? She's about a month older than me, so she's still fourteen. So am I. Just in case you couldn't tell, I'm trying my best to think of her in present tense, and not past tense.

It was my turn to guard, so I decided I'd better get on deck.

**_Hazel- 3_****_rd_****_ POV- Past Tense _**

**_(That is very weird for me!)_**

During the third attack,Hazel almost ate a boulder. She was peering into the fog, wondering how it could be so difficult to fly across one stupid mountain range, when the ship's alarm bells sounded.

"Hard to port!" Nico yelled from the foremast of the fly ing ship.

Back at the helm, Leo yanked the wheel. The _Argo II _veered left, its aerial oars slashing through the clouds like rows of knives.

Hazel made the mistake of looking over the rail. A dark spherical shape hurtled toward her. She thought: _Why is the moon coming at us? _Then she yelped and hit the deck. The huge rock passed so close overhead it blew her hair out of her face.

_CRACK! _

The foremast collapsed—sail, spars, and Nico all crash ing to the deck. The boulder, roughly the size of a pickup truck, tumbled off into the fog like it had important business elsewhere.

"Nico!" Hazel scrambled over to him as Leo brought the ship level.

"I'm fine," Nico muttered, kicking folds of canvas off his legs.

She helped him up, and they stumbled to the bow. Hazel peeked over more carefully this time. The clouds parted just long enough to reveal the top of the mountain below them: a spearhead of black rock jutting from mossy green slopes. Standing at the summit was a mountain god—one of the _numina montanum_, Jason had called them. Or _ourae_, in Greek. Whatever you called them, they were nasty.

Like the others they had faced, this one wore a simple white tunic over skin as rough and dark as basalt. He was about twenty feet tall and extremely muscular, with a flowing white beard, scraggly hair, and a wild look in his eyes, like a crazy hermit. He bellowed something Hazel didn't under stand, but it obviously wasn't welcoming. With his bare hands, he pried another chunk of rock from his mountain and began shaping it into a ball.

The scene disappeared in the fog, but when the mountain god bellowed again, other _numina _answered in the distance, their voices echoing through the valleys.

"Stupid rock gods!" Leo yelled from the helm. "That's the _third _time I've had to replace that mast! You think they grow on trees?"

Nico frowned. "Masts _are _from trees."

"That's not the point!" Leo snatched up one of his controls, rigged from a Nintendo Wii stick, and spun it in a circle. A few feet away, a trapdoor opened in the deck. A Celestial bronze cannon rose. Hazel just had time to cover her ears before it discharged into the sky, spraying a dozen metal spheres that trailed green fire. The spheres grew spikes in midair, like helicopter blades, and hurtled away into the fog.

A moment later, a series of explosions crackled across the mountains, followed by the outraged roars of mountain gods.

"Ha!" Leo yelled.

Unfortunately, Hazel guessed, judging from their last two encounters, Leo's newest weapon had only annoyed the _numina_.

Another boulder whistled through the air off to their star board side.

Nico yelled, "Get us out of here!"

Leo muttered some unflattering comments about _numina_, but he turned the wheel. The engines hummed. Magical rigging lashed itself tight, and the ship tacked to port. The _Argo II _picked up speed, retreating northwest, as they'd been doing for the past two days.

Hazel didn't relax until they were out of the mountains. The fog cleared. Below them, morning sunlight illuminated the Italian countryside—rolling green hills and golden fields not too different from those in Northern California. Hazel could almost imagine she was sailing home to Camp Jupiter.

The thought weighed on her chest. Camp Jupiter had only been her home for nine months, since Nico had brought her back from the Underworld. But she missed it more than her birthplace of New Orleans, and _definitely _more than Alaska, where she'd died back in 1942.

She missed her bunk in the Fifth Cohort barracks. She missed dinners in the mess hall, with wind spirits whisking platters through the air and legionnaires joking about the war games. She wanted to wander the streets of New Rome, holding hands with Frank Zhang. She wanted to experience just being a regular girl for once, with an actual sweet, caring boyfriend.

Most of all, she wanted to feel safe. She was tired of being scared and worried all the time.

She stood on the quarterdeck as Nico picked mast splin ters out of his arms and Leo punched buttons on the ship's console.

"Well, _that _was sucktastic," Leo said. "Should I wake the others?"

Hazel was tempted to say yes, but the other crew members had taken the night shift and had earned their rest. They were exhausted from defending the ship. Every few hours, it seemed, some Roman monster had decided the _Argo II _looked like a tasty treat.

A few weeks ago, Hazel wouldn't have believed that anyone could sleep through a _numina _attack, but now she imagined her friends were still snoring away belowdecks. Whenever _she _got a chance to crash, she slept like a coma patient.

"They need rest," she said. "We'll have to figure out another way on our own."

"Huh." Leo scowled at his monitor. In his tattered work shirt and grease-splattered jeans, he looked like he'd just lost a wrestling match with a locomotive.

Ever since their friends Percy and Annabeth had fallen into Tartarus, Leo had been working almost nonstop. He'd been acting angrier and even more driven than usual.

Hazel worried about him. But part of her was relieved by the change. Whenever Leo smiled and joked, he looked _too _much like Sammy, his great-grandfather . . . Hazel's first boyfriend, back in 1942.

Ugh, why did her life have to be so complicated?

"Another way," Leo muttered. "Do you see one?"

On his monitor glowed a map of Italy. The Apennine Mountains ran down the middle of the boot-shaped country. A green dot for the _Argo II _blinked on the western side of the range, a few hundred miles north of Rome. Their path should have been simple. They needed to get to a place called Epirus in Greece and find an old temple called the House of Hades (or Pluto, as the Romans called him; or as Hazel liked to think of him: the World's Worst Absent Father).

To reach Epirus, all they had to do was go straight east—over the Apennines and across the Adriatic Sea. But it hadn't worked out that way. Each time they tried to cross the spine of Italy, the mountain gods attacked.

For the past two days they'd skirted north, hoping to find a safe pass, with no luck. The _numina montanum _were sons of Gaea, Hazel's least favorite goddess. That made them _very _determined enemies. The _Argo II _couldn't fly high enough to avoid their attacks; and even with all its defenses, the ship couldn't make it across the range without being smashed to pieces.

"It's our fault," Hazel said. "Nico's and mine. The _numina _can sense us."

She glanced at her half brother. Since they'd rescued him from the giants, he'd started to regain his strength, but he was still painfully thin. His black shirt and jeans hung off his skeletal frame. Long dark hair framed his sunken eyes. His olive complexion had turned a sickly greenish white, like the color of tree sap.

In human years, he was fourteen, just a year older than Hazel, but that didn't tell the whole story. Like Hazel, Nico di Angelo was a demigod from another era. He radiated a kind of _old _energy—a melancholy that came from knowing he didn't belong in the modern world.

And there was the matter of Hannah Grace Fredrickson. Nico's ex-girlfriend. She had gone missing around the time Percy did. And Nico blamed himself. Everyone thought the fourteen year old daughter of Poseidon was dead. But Nico refused to believe it. He looked for her any chance he got. But at the moment, he didn't have time, and it was driving him crazy. Hannah Grace was a forbidden subject when speaking to Nico.

Hazel hadn't known him very long, but she understood, even shared, his sadness. The children of Hades (Pluto—whichever) rarely had happy lives. And judging from what Nico had told her the night before, their biggest challenge was yet to come when they reached the House of Hades—a challenge he'd implored her to keep secret from the others.

Nico gripped the hilt of his Stygian iron sword. "Earth spirits don't like children of the Underworld. That's true. We get under their skin—_literally_. But I think the _numina _could sense this ship anyway. We're carrying the Athena Parthenos. That thing is like a magical beacon."

Hazel shivered, thinking of the massive statue that took up most of the hold. They'd sacrificed so much saving it from the cavern under Rome; but they had no idea what to do with it. So far the only thing it seemed to be good for was alerting more monsters to their presence.

Leo traced his finger down the map of Italy. "So crossing the mountains is out. Thing is, they go a long way in either direction."

"We could go by sea," Hazel suggested. "Sail around the southern tip of Italy."

"That's a long way," Nico said. "Plus, we don't have . . ." His voice cracked. "You know . . . our sea expert, Percy."

The name hung in the air like an impending storm.

Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon . . . probably the demigod Hazel admired most. He'd saved her life so many times on their quest to Alaska; but when he had needed Hazel's help in Rome, she'd failed him. She'd watched, powerless, as he and Annabeth had plunged into that pit.

Hazel took a deep breath. Percy and Annabeth were still alive. She knew that in her heart. She could _still _help them if she could get to the House of Hades, if she could survive the challenge Nico had warned her about. . . .

"What about continuing north?" she asked. "There _has _to be a break in the mountains, or something."

Leo fiddled with the bronze Archimedes sphere that he'd installed on the console—his newest and most dangerous toy. Every time Hazel looked at the thing, her mouth went dry. She worried that Leo would turn the wrong combina tion on the sphere and accidentally eject them all from the deck, or blow up the ship, or turn the _Argo II _into a giant toaster. Fortunately, they got lucky. The sphere grew a camera lens and projected a 3-D image of the Apennine Mountains above the console.

"I dunno." Leo examined the hologram. "I don't see any good passes to the north. But I like that idea better than backtracking south. I'm done with Rome."

No one argued with that. Rome had not been a good experience.

"Whatever we do," Nico said, "we have to hurry. Every day that Annabeth and Percy are in Tartarus . . ."

He didn't need to finish. They had to hope Percy and Annabeth could survive long enough to find the Tartarus side of the Doors of Death. Then, assuming the _Argo II _could reach the House of Hades, they _might _be able to open the Doors on the mortal side, save their friends, and seal the entrance, stopping Gaea's forces from being reincarnated in the mortal world over and over.

Yes . . . nothing could go wrong with _that _plan.

Nico scowled at the Italian countryside below them. "Maybe we _should _wake the others. This decision affects us all."

"No," Hazel said. "We can find a solution."

She wasn't sure why she felt so strongly about it, but since leaving Rome, the crew had started to lose its cohe sion. They'd been learning to work as a team. Then _bam _. . . their two most important members fell into Tartarus. Percy had been their backbone. He'd given them confidence as they sailed across the Atlantic and into the Mediterranean. As for Annabeth—she'd been the de facto leader of the quest. She'd recovered the Athena Parthenos single-handedly. She was the smartest of the seven, the one with the answers.

If Hazel woke up the rest of the crew every time they had a problem, they'd just start arguing again, feeling more and more hopeless.

She had to make Percy and Annabeth proud of her. She had to take the initiative. She couldn't believe her only role in this quest would be what Nico had warned her of—removing the obstacle waiting for them in the House of Hades. She pushed the thought aside.

"We need some creative thinking," she said. "Another way to cross those mountains, or a way to hide ourselves from the _numina_."

Nico sighed. "If I was on my own, I could shadow-travel. But that won't work for an entire ship. And honestly, I'm not sure I have the strength to even transport _myself _anymore."

"I could maybe rig some kind of camouflage," Leo said, "like a smoke screen to hide us in the clouds." He didn't sound very enthusiastic.

Hazel stared down at the rolling farmland, thinking about what lay beneath it—the realm of her father, lord of the Underworld. She'd only met Pluto once, and she hadn't even realized who he was. She certainly had never expected help from him—not when she was alive the first time, not during her time as a spirit in the Underworld, not since Nico had brought her back to the world of the living.

Her dad's servant Thanatos, god of death, had suggested that Pluto might be doing Hazel a favor by ignoring her. After all, she wasn't supposed to be alive. If Pluto took notice of her, he might have to return her to the land of the dead.

Which meant calling on Pluto would be a very bad idea. And yet . . .

_Please, Dad, _she found herself praying. _I _have _to find a way to your temple in Greece—the House of Hades. If you're down there, show me what to do._

At the edge of the horizon, a flicker of movement caught her eye—something small and beige racing across the fields at incredible speed, leaving a vapor trail like a plane's.

Hazel couldn't believe it. She didn't dare hope, but it _had _to be . . . "Arion."

"What?" Nico asked.

Leo let out a happy whoop as the dust cloud got closer. "It's her horse, man! You missed that whole part. We haven't seen him since Kansas!"

Hazel laughed—the first time she'd laughed in days. It felt so good to see her old friend.

About a mile to the north, the small beige dot circled a hill and stopped at the summit. He was difficult to make out, but when the horse reared and whinnied, the sound carried all the way to the _Argo II. _Hazel had no doubt—it was Arion.

"We have to meet him," she said. "He's here to help."

"Yeah, okay." Leo scratched his head. "But, uh, we talked about not landing the ship on the ground anymore, remem ber? You know, with Gaea wanting to destroy us and all."

"Just get me close, and I'll use the rope ladder." Hazel's heart was pounding. "I think Arion wants to tell me something." She lowered herself down carefully as they sped toward the horse.

"Hey, Arion," she said as she stepped beside him. "What's up?"

He whinnied and kneeled, as if he wanted her to get on his back. She happily obliged. She loved horses- especially Arion.

"Hey!" Leo called down. "Where can we find you when you're done with your little chat?"

"Here!" she shouted back. "Stay here!" Arion took off at full throttle. Hazel let out a scream of delight as her ears popped. Arion ran for what felt like a distance of only a few feet. But they appeared to be miles away from where they started. "Where are we?" she asked Arion. He only whinnied in reply. They were at a break in the mountains! "How far from the Argo II are we?" she thought aloud. Arion took off and they were back at the Argo II.

"We found it! Our pass through the mountains!" she yelled as she reluctantly climbed off Arion. "Thank you, Arion." She summoned some gold from the ground and gave it to Arion. He happily munched on it as Hazel grabbed the ladder and climbed. _Thanks, Dad_, she thought, smiling to herself.

"What did you find?" Nico asked as she reached the top.

"A pass through the mountains!" She pointed in the direction Arion took her. "There is a break in the mountains somewhere in that direction."

"All right, then," Leo said, turning the humongous ship in that direction. "Through the mountains we go!"


	2. Little Man

**_I know this one is really short, but don't worry, the next one will be much longer! _**

**_Just so everyone is aware, I'm writing two stories right now. This one, and Harry Potter: The Next Generation (With a Twist!)_**

**_Leo_**

The huge warship passed through the mountains without any more problems or complications. By the time they got about halfway through the pass, Hazel looked like she was about to pass out. Nico sent her belowdecks and told her to send someone up. She must have chosen Jason, because not five minutes later the prince of the skies stumbled up the stairs.

"Heard you guys needed some company," he said. Jason looked awful. His usually neat cropped blonde hair was all over the place and about one and a half inches longer. His shirt was on backwards. Leo decided to ignore his friend's mistake and concentrate on steering the ship.

"I guess," Leo said. "Hazel's horse found a pass through the mountains." A loud deafening screech echoed through the air. "What now?" Leo shouted. That was when the flying drakon decided it had to ruin their day.

"Nico!" Jason shouted as he drew his sword. "Distract it!" Leo stopped the ship in midair and pulled the biggest hammer he had out of his magical tool belt. Nico hurried to the right side of the monster, drawing his pure black sword as he went. Jason scurried to its left and jumped onto the creature. Well, he did use the wind so technically, he was flying. But that was beside the point. The drakon didn't like being ridden. It furiously shook, trying to knock the son of Jupiter off his back, but to no avail. Jason had a tight grip on one of its scales. Nico ran so he was right in front of the drakon. It spit acid at him but missed. Leo ran to its right and hit it with his hammer. That didn't do anything but make it angrier. It spit another glob of acid at Nico, and once again, Nico dodged, resulting in two big holes in the ship which Leo had fixed the day before.

"Oh, come on!" Leo shouted. "I just fixed that!" Nico threw his sword, which went straight through the creature's eye. Dang, that kid could aim. The drakon began to dissolve. The carcass fell, with Jason still on its back. Thirty seconds later, Jason flew back up, clutching Nico's sword in one hand and his own in the other.

"Thought you might want this," he said, handing it to Nico.

"Thanks," Nico replied as he sunk to the floor. He leaned his head against the mast.

"You okay, man?" Leo asked, returning to the ship's controls.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking," was the small reply. Leo had an idea of what he was thinking about. Probably Percy and Annabeth and how they… well, you know. Or he could be thinking about that one girl who went missing. What was her name? Hannah Faith? No, it was Hannah Grace! That's right! She was his girlfriend. Maybe ex-girlfriend… Leo didn't know all the details, but he knew Nico liked a girl and she went missing. That must suck. Leo could only imagine what that would feel like.

"About what?" Jason ventured to ask.

"Nothing," the fourteen year old said.

"It's obviously not nothing."

"Yes, it is."

"Whatever, little man."

"I'm not little."

"You're littler that me, so it makes sense." The son of Hades glared at the son of Jupiter.

"Whatever," Nico said, settling back into the mast as much as he could. It seemed that only seconds later the prince of the dead was asleep.

"I should go get someone to fill his place while he rests," Jason said, leaving Leo alone except for the sleeping Nico. Leo looked at Nico with pity. That kid had gone through what he himself had. But he had lost even more. Leo looked to the monitor. He wouldn't be able to go very much farther without fixing the ship. Stupid rock gods and drakon.

"I brought company," Jason said, taking the stairs two at a time. A very tired Frank stumbled after him, tripping over one or two stairs. Oh, yeah. An all boys party. Just what they needed right then and there. (Please note the sarcasm.)

"I noticed," Leo said, checking over the controls.

"You're not even going to say hi?" Jason scolded.

"Hi."

"What's up?" Frank said. He'd gotten nicer since Leo wasn't with Hazel at the moment. Everyone on this freaking ship had a significant other. Everyone except Leo. He understood it and didn't resent them for it. But he just really hated being a spare sometimes. But no matter. He had friends to fish out of Tartarus.


	3. Tartarus

**_Percy_**

Percy and Annabeth fell for what seemed like days. It might have been days. Percy had no idea how long they had been down here. When they had finally reached the bottom, they thankfully landed on something softer than the ground- Arachne. But that didn't mean they got out unscathed. They probably broke a few ribs in the fall, but not anything too major. Percy and Annabeth had a fun time getting untangled from Arachne's trap without releasing the mad and angry spider. She couldn't die- she was already in Tartarus. Where else did they have to go?

Annabeth's ankle looked worse than it did before they fell. She had hit her arm on a rock on the way down, and that didn't look too good either. Percy ignored most of his own injuries. He couldn't feel them, and frankly, he didn't care. His mission was to get Annabeth out. Not specifically coming out of it alive himself.

"Percy?" Annabeth asked from where she had been sleeping on his lap. They had found a small cave, barely large enough for the two of them.

"What?" he said, sweeping the hair out of her face.

"Where are we going to find water? And food?" She sat up, looking at him with concern.

"I don't know. I'm betting there is some kind of lake or something around here. The monsters need it, right?" He was just guessing when he said that.

"We don't know that for sure. I doubt they can die here."

"But then where would the other monsters get their meals? They must be able to die, because I'm guessing the monsters eat other monsters."

"Let's hope."

"Get some sleep."

"You need sleep, too." Percy started to protest. "No. You are going to sleep. I promise I will wake you if anything happens."

"Fine." He kissed her before settling against the rocky wall and falling asleep.

**_Annabeth_**

Percy had been asleep for what felt like hours when she saw the small creature's silhouette in front of their little cave.

"Percy," she said, shaking the son of Poseidon awake. He immediately pulled Riptide out of his pocket and uncapped the pen.

"What the heck is that?" he asked.

"Doesn't look like a monster. I think it's another person."

"An-Annabeth?" a voice that sounded vaguely familiar called through the din. "Percy, is that you?"

"Hello?" Percy said. "Who's there?"

The silhouette crept closer. Percy raised his sword in defense. Then the creature crawled into the light of Anaklusmos. It was Hannah Grace.

"Hannah Grace?" Percy asked, still wary of the girl, not sure if it was really his sister or not.

"Percy!" she shouted coming closer and pulling her brother into a hug. Her green eyes sparkled at the revelation of another human being. Her usually clean curly hair was pulled back into a messy pony tail, matted all the way. She was covered from head to toe in dirt, and her usual sturdy tennis shoes were falling apart at the seams. There was dried blood down her leg and on her face. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed. "I never thought I'd see you guys again!"

"What are you doing down here?" Percy asked.

"I decided it was better to be on the run in Tartarus than used by Gaea in her evil plan."

"Used by Gaea?" Annabeth wondered aloud.

"She was going to use me as a host of sorts. As in, a human body for herself because of my association with multiple gods." Hannah Grace must have heard something, because she pulled her ring off her finger. It elongated into her trusty sword, Courage. "Stay quiet, and stay down." She crept along the wall to where an employee was standing. Percy and Annabeth hand' t even noticed it. Hannah Grace swept her sword, and the empousa stumbled as it's legs were cut off. The creature was screeching and wailing, so Hannah Grace did the thing that came by instinct. She cut off the empousa's head.

"I think that was the only one. We'd better get moving. I found a small pond a few miles that way." She started walking, then stopped and turned when Percy and Annabeth didn't follow. "Are you coming or not?" She smiled and kept walking. Percy and Annabeth struggled to follow. After a while of walking and a few hellhounds , they arrived at a very small pond. It looked strangely peaceful in the darkness and emptiness of Tartarus. Hannah Grace bent down to drink, and Percy and Annabeth followed her lead. They drank greedily, as if they would never see water again. And that may have been true.

"So how did you get down here?" Hannah Grace asked.

"We fell. From Rome," Percy answered.

"Sounds like fun."

"Not exactly." By this time, Annabeth needed to stop and rest. Her ankle was killing her. Percy took notice and helped her settle down next to a ledge.

"How did you get here?" Percy asked his little sister.

"I came through the Doors of Death."

"Where are they?" Annabeth asked. "We need to get there. To complete our quest!"

"I can lead you there. It's dangerous. And very hard to get out of." Hannah Grace looked at them woefully. "I'm not sure we'd all make it."

"That is never a guarantee," Percy said, putting his arm around the girl's shoulders. He studied the fourteen year old for a moment. "Let's all get cleaned up." They took a few minutes to wash off any dried blood and grime. Hannah Grace tried desperately to get all the mats out of her hair. Annabeth came to her rescue. It took her about ten minutes. But at least she could wash her hair.

"Thanks," the younger girl muttered. Annabeth noticed a change in Hannah Grace's demeanor. She seemed to have become much shyer, and more disclosed. Annabeth was genuinely concerned for the daughter of Poseidon.

"How long have you been down here?" she asked.

"I don't know. I was kidnapped, and about a week later I escaped. I've been down here ever since," Hannah Grace said. Annabeth was astonished. That was more than eight months! Poor child.


	4. Rock, Paper, Scissors

_**Hannah Grace**_

The moment she saw Percy and Annabeth she knew she was going to be okay. She may not survive, but at least she got to see her brother one more time. Now she only wished she could see Nico. Gaea had told her why Nico had left her. It wasn't because he didn't like her. It was because his father had told him that she would die. But that was not the case.

"So when do we leave?" Hannah Grace asked Percy. She saw Percy trying to heal himself with the water. "Oh, that doesn't work down here. I don't know why, but the water doesn't heal us."

"Okay, that's good to know," Percy said. "Well, we should leave as soon as possible."

"How soon is possible?" Annabeth asked.

"Let's take a few hours rest, and then we can go immediately after that," Percy said.

"Um... how do we tell if it's a few hours or not?" Annabeth asked.

"Oh, I've got a watch!" Hannah Grace held up her wrist. "It's about seven o' clock in the morning."

"Where did you get that?" Percy asked, taking her wrist in his.

"I don't know. I woke up with it on and couldn't get it off."

"What if that's some kind of tracker?" Annabeth said.

"There's not much I can do about it. Like I said, it won't come off." Percy tried to pry it off her wrist, only resulting in a scream from her. A small line of blood trailed down her arm.

"Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry," Percy said, pulling his little sister in for a hug and examining her wrist. "So do you have any idea what that's for? You know, besides tracking?"

"Well, there's a compass on here, and there's a pointer that leads to the Doors of Death, and there's a small thingy here-"

"A pointer that leads to the Doors of Death?" Percy said.

"Yeah, didn't I say that?" Hannah Grace messed with the watch.

"You did. We can use that!" Annabeth said.

"But I can lead you to the Doors."

"I know," Percy said. "But if you get lost or something-"

"You mean if I die, you can still reach the Doors." Hannah Grace understood Annabeth's indication.

"Yeah, I guess," Annabeth said quietly. She and Percy exchanged looks. If and when they reached the Doors, Hannah Grace knew she couldn't leave Tartarus. If she did, Gaea would use her. And she would be the reason everything and everyone was dead. She couldn't live with that.

"Percy," Hannah Grace said, gripping her brother's arm, "I'm making you a promise, okay? I promise that no matter what happens, I won't let Gaea use me to hurt Camp Half-Blood or anyone else. I promise." Hannah Grace already had a plan running through her head. If she could... and then... and after that... Yes. This plan would work. It had to.

"Okay. I'm not holding you to that," he said, holding his little sister closer. "Don't promise things. _An oath to keep with a final breath, _remember?"

"Yep. I remember."

"Good. You two get rested, and I'll stay guard," he said.

"No," Hannah Grace cut in. "You two rest, and I'll stand guard."

"No, I'm guarding," Percy said.

"I'm guarding."

"No, you're not."

"Are, too."

"Are not."

"Are, too."

"Are-"

"How about you both shut up!" Annabeth cried. "Rock, paper, scissors for it, or something!"

"Fine," Hannah Grace said, putting her fist into her palm, and Percy followed her lead.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" Percy had scissors, and Hannah Grace had paper.

"Two out of three?" she said.

"Sure. I'll still win."

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" Hannah Grace had rock, and Percy had a finger gun.

"Finger gun beats everything!" he said, a small smile spreading on his face.

"That's cheating!" Hannah Grace said, punching her brother playfully on the shoulder. "That's not fair!"

"It is. Now go to sleep." He glared at her for a minute or two. She finally backed down. She was bone tired, but didn't want to admit it.

"Fine. I give." She layed back and closed her eyes tight.

_**Jason**_

Three of the four boys sat in a semi-circle around the mast, and Leo was completely focused (for once) on the controls. Jason heard clicks and clacks coming from the speaker.

"Festus, how we doing?" Leo said. More clicks and clacks.

"Hey, guys," Leo shouted. "We need to stop somewhere to make some repairs!"

"Where?" Frank asked. "There's no where to stop."

"I've done a scan of the area. There's a wooded area over thatta way." Leo pointed east and turned the ship in that direction. "And I sense some celestial bronze in the same general area. Let's go."

"Alright," Jason said, standing again, and looking down at Nico who was sleeping against the mast. Or just resting. Jason was never sure with the son of Hades. It was hard to tell in the best of times what was going through his head.

They arrived at the woods shortly after. Jason jumped off, with Frank following shortly behind on the ladder. Jason didn't need it. He was a blonde Superman, according to Percy.

Percy. And Annabeth. In Tartarus. They could have fallen into a small hole. But no, they fell into the biggest hole there was. Stupid Tartarus.

"Okay, the celestial bronze is about 200 yards northwest," Leo called climbing down, with Nico trailing behind. "Frank and I can work on cutting down trees. You guys can go and get the celestial bronze. Why it's out here, I don't know, so be careful."

"You, too." Jason and Nico walked about 150 yards in silence. Jason rubbed the back of his neck, and finally said, "You feeling any better?"

"A bit. I'm not about to pass out or anything, if that's what you mean," the fourteen year old answered.

"Oh. Good." They walked in silence once again. "How you holding up?"

"Okay." The prince of the dead must have spotted the celestial bronze because he hurried forward and started digging a bit. He must have had pretty good eyesight if he could see only that little bit peeking through the surface.

"Careful, now," Jason said, helping him pick up the big lump. Who knows what it was for, but now it was theirs.


	5. The Cold, Hard Truth

_**Hannah Grace**_

A rumbling fell over the entire chasm. The three demigods all fell to the ground as they tried to close the huge gap between them and the Doors of Death. They couldn't even see them yet, but Hannah Grace knew where it was. As she tried to stand, she was knocked over once again. Along with the thundering and shaking of the ground, a woman's laughter filled the air.

_Your idiotic friends just gave me a way to get to you,_ the woman said. Hannah Grace shuddered. It was Gaea. That terrifying goddess of the earth.

"What are you talking about?" Hannah Grace said.

_Your so called heroes took the celestial bronze that was preventing me from getting to you. Now, you are mine._

Hannah Grace knew exactly what was going to happen next.

"Percy!" she shouted over the din. "Percy, catch!" She had finally managed to wrench the watch off her wrist. She threw it at him and he caught it.

"Hannah Grace!" Percy yelled back as he tried to run to her side, but was blocked by the earth rising around her. She was now in a small cage of earth.

"Percy! Get to the Doors! Get Annabeth to safety!" Hannah Grace shouted as loud as she could. "Go!" The roof was completed and there was only silence. "What do you want, Gaea?"

_I want you. And now I've got you. And your precious brother and his little girlfriend. They shall be the sacrifices that awaken me._

"No!" Hannah Grace shouted. "Leave them alone!"

_Oh, dear, you know that if I don't, they will be quite a problem. _There was silence once again. _Are you going to cooperate or will I have to take certain measures?_

"What do you mean by measures?" Hannah Grace asked.

_Don't you remember this little tike? _ Gaea asked as a picture of Toby appeared on the face of the dirt. He was playing at Camp Half-Blood. He was five now. Hannah Grace smiled and put her hand to the picture. Out of nowhere, Toby began to writhe in pain.

"Leave him alone!" Hannah Grace shouted.

_Only if you will help me._

"Never!"

_Then he must die._

Hannah Grace saw her brother fall to the ground. He started convulsing.

"No!" Hannah Grace tried to run to him, then remembered that he wasn't where she was.

_If you just do what you're told, this will stop. _Hannah Grace fought with herself. Part of her wanted to save him, but the other part of her knew better. If Gaea had her way with her, then he would die anyways. Maybe this was better for him.

She saw the Apollo campers run to him. There was Vicky, taking his pulse. She waved the big brutes to him and they scooped him up and rushed him out of her field of vision. Her vision moved to the Big House. Her brother lay in the bed, and his eyes were a sickly dirt brown and gold color.

Hannah Grace wanted to cry. She could still see her little brother lying on the ground, his eyes full of pain. She couldn't show fear. No fear.

"Oh, well. I've lost the rest of my family. Why not my little brother?" Hannah Grace put on her brave face.

_Do you want your brother to suffer anymore?_

Her courageous façade faltered. "Please! Leave him alone!" Hannah Grace shouted, trying to find the earth goddess. "Let him go! I'll do what you want!" Her brother's eyes turned back to their light green color.

_All right. Here's what you must do first._

Hannah Grace blacked out… again.

_**Nico**_

Nico felt the ground underneath him tremble. He almost fell because of the celestial bronze in his arms. Jason caught him. Apparently he hadn't felt it.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Fine." The son of Hades struggled to stand, but found he couldn't. Then Jason fell over, too.

"What the heck?" Jason said, also trying to stand. "What's going on?"

"Let's get back to the ship!" Nico yelled. By now, the tremors were making a lot of noise. It almost sounded like laughter to Nico. Then he realized that it was. "Yeah. Let's get back." They ran, well, technically crawled back to the ship, the laughing growing louder and louder.

"Who is that?" Jason asked.

_Oh, just me,_ the voice declared. It was Gaea. Nico hated her. And he had reason to.

"What do you want?" Nico shouted.

_I just thought I'd let you know that your little girlfriend is my vessel. And it is because of you. _Nico could hear the smile in her voice.

"What do you mean, because of me?"

_Was it not you who picked the celestial bronze out of the ground?_

"So what?"

_You just cannot face the cold, hard truth. That celestial bronze was keeping me from harming Hannah Grace's foolish little brother. Those idiotic hunters placed it there, knowing what it would do because of that little Oracle of yours. But no worries. My sons destroyed some things on the ship that meant you needed celestial bronze. It is just a sweet coincidence that you happened to have sealed her fate._

"No!" Nico shouted, clenching his hands over his ears and closing his eyes. "You're lying!"

_If I was lying, would I be able to do this?_

A vision went through his mind of Toby convulsing in pain.

"Quit it! Stop!" The child stopped moving and fell back asleep.

_You see? Your girlfriend is mine. And all because of you. _The laughter of the earth goddess once again filled the clearing before the demigods felt her presence recede. Nico and Jason hurried back to the Argo II to tell of the news. Nico secretly wiped a tear away from his cheek. _I promise you, Hannah Grace, _he thought, _I will save you._


	6. Let's Meet Some New Friends

_**Third POV **_

_**Hartsville, Kansas**_

_**September 11th, 2013**_

"Breanna!" Mark Brush shouted through the house. He was going out of his mind with worry. Ever since Hannah Grace disappeared a few months before, he was worried that Breanna would disappear next. "Breanna!"

"Yes, Mark?" she asked coming down the stairs, sweeping her dark red hair out of her brown eyes. "What?"

"Oh, I was just wondering when you were leaving for your case."

"Pretty soon."

"Okay." They stood in an awkward silence for a minute or two before Mark wrapped her hands around Breanna's waist. "What's wrong?"

"It could have something to do with the fact that my daughter is missing." Breanna pulled back, but Mark refused to let go. He smiled at her struggle. He laughed until the huge giant smashed through the wall. And that was the last thing he saw before the world went black.

_**Does everyone remember Hannah Grace's friends from Kansas? **_

_**Isabelle Monroe**_

_**Present Day of Story**_

Isabelle walked down the school hallway alone. Most of the time, she would be walking down that hallway, laughing away with Hannah Grace. She had been missing for... what was it now, a year? Isabelle almost couldn't take it anymore. When were the stupid police going to find her friend? She thought she was going insane with worry. She finally reached her locker and removed her math book.

"Hey," Evan Hindren said, swiping his dark brown hair to the left. "What's up?"

"Oh, you know, just thinking, and going to math." Isabelle leaned against her locker and put her head against it, closing her deep blue eyes. "I'm just so worried that something awful happened to her." He knew exactly what she meant when she said 'her'. He set his hand against the spot next to her head and put his weight against it. The hallways were beginning to clear out, but Isabelle didn't care. All she cared about was the brown eyed boy in front of her.

"Hey, you know she's fine. Hannah Grace can defend herself," he said.

"I know, but what if-"

"No. Don't even go there." He pulled Isabelle into a hug. "Don't say that. Don't torture yourself with that kind of stuff."

"Okay. I won't. But when are they going to find her? It's been a year. I would think they would have gotten somewhere by now, but no, they haven't. I just want this nightmare to be over." Isabelle started to cry.

"I believe I can help you there," a teenage boy said behind them. "You're Isabelle Monroe, correct? And you are Evan Hindren?" He had light black hair and light brown eyes. He had the look of a mischievous kid permanently on his face. Isabelle didn't trust him. Beside him was one of the boys from their class. His name was Derek. He had bright red hair and playful blue eyes. He had some kind of muscular disorder in his legs.

"Um... Yeah, why?" Isabelle said. She swept her dirty blonde hair out of her face.

"I need you to come with me," the black haired boy said. "You, too." He pointed briefly at Evan. "Let's get going. My name is Chris, by the way. Chris Rodriguez."

"Why should we come with you?" Evan asked, stepping protectively in front of Isabelle.

"Because," Chris said, "we're taking you somewhere safe."

"Safe? What do you mean? We're safe here," Isabelle said.

"Well, as safe as you can get in this school," Evan mumbled.

"No, you aren't. And that monster behind you proves it. You two are quite powerful. How you weren't discovered sooner is beyond me," Derek said matter-of-factly. Isabelle and Evan slowly turned around to find themselves staring into blood red eyes.

_**Piper**_

Piper stared at her knife, hoping for some kind of vision. Her wish was granted when she was swept through a cascade of images. She saw Hazel moving some kind of huge rock and falling over unconscious (at least, Piper hoped she was only unconscious), and next she saw two kids she didn't know in a cage. She saw herself leaning over Annabeth and Percy with a knife. Then she saw Hannah Grace with scary gold and brown eyes. And then the images stopped.

Piper determined that she had to tell the others. She ran out of her room to wake the others.

No one seemed to be paying attention. All they were doing was arguing. Leo was arguing with Hazel, and Frank was arguing with Nico. The only one who seemed to be paying any attention was Jason.

"Guys," Piper called, "I've got to tell you about my vision." Piper's vision had scared her half to death. She couldn't get the image out of her mind that showed Hannah Grace with sickly brown and gold eyes, and the other that showed Piper with her knife in hand standing over Percy and Annabeth. The last one freaked her out a lot more than the first, but neither were good. Piper didn't want to be pointing a knife at anyone, to be frank. She was scared. And the others arguing didn't exactly help too much.

"Listen up!" Jason shouted. Once everyone quieted down, he said "Okay, Piper, what'cha got?"

"A vision. You are not going to like it," Piper said. She explained what she saw.

"That does not sound good," Leo said.

"So what did the two kids in the cage look like?" Hazel asked.

"Um..." Piper strained to remember. "They were both around thirteen, fourteen, and the girl had dirty blonde hair and dark blue eyes that looked like a thunder storm, almost. The boy had dark, dark brown hair, with just as dark of brown eyes. Anything else?"

"Nope. I don't think I know either of them," Frank said.

"Okay. Anyone else think they sound familiar?" Piper looked around.

"Not really," Leo said.

"Besides, I bet a lot of people have that description," Jason said. "But they are most likely demigods."

"Alright then, what does the one about Hazel and a stone mean?" Frank asked. Nico and Hazel both stared at the ground. Like they knew something.

"Really? That's weird," Nico said. It was the first thing he had said since they had gathered there.

"What's up between you two?" Jason asked.

"Um... we're siblings?" Hazel said shyly.

"That is obviously not it," Jason said. "Spill it."

"Spill what?" Nico said, looking anywhere but at the people.

"Whatever you know," Frank said. "Come on, we're a team. We need to know."

"I can't tell you." Nico gave Hazel a glare, telling her to be quiet.

"Why not?" Jason asked.

"Because. My dad told me not to." Nico left then and went down to his bunk. Everyone looked to Hazel who blushed and followed Nico out. Frank ran after her. _Okay then, _Piper thought. _I guess we'll finish this later. _


	7. Preferably Before We Get Killed

_**Hey, my unicorn friends! And I must say I'm sorry that I haven't posted for a while. I've been learning how to use GarageBand lately. You can check out my songs on Youtube using the name MudSkipper001!**_

_**Evan Hindren**_

Evan found himself staring at his English teacher. Her eyes were no longer red, but their usual brown color. In fact, Evan was sure he had imagined the red color.

"Good morning, Mrs. Andrews," Evan said.

"Why are you three still in the halls and not in class?" Mrs. Andrews asked in her slick voice.

"Well, we were-" Isabelle began.

"And who are you?" Mrs. Andrew continued, ignoring Isabelle and looking at Chris.

"I am a high school tutor," Chris said. "I'm taking these eighth graders to the library. If you will excuse us." He led the students to the library that he somehow knew the location of. "Who was that?" he whispered.

"That was our English teacher," Isabelle said. "I don't like her."

"Go figure," Evan muttered. "She's freaky."

"She's a monster, what do you expect?" Derek said.

"Isn't that going a bit too far?" Isabelle asked as they entered the library.

"Nope. I'm being serious. That wasn't meant as an insult." Derek looked to the ground. "I told you the good and honest truth."

"Wait, what? Monster?" Evan said. The librarian shushed him. He lowered his voice. "Are you saying she is a real monster?"

"Yes. Yes I am," Derek whispered as he sat down at one of the round tables. The other three sat next.

"Are- Are you guys the ones who took Hannah Grace?" Isabelle muttered in a small voice that Evan could barely hear.

"Took Hannah Grace? You mean, like, kidnapped?" Chris asked. "No! We didn't kidnap her. We took her somewhere safe. She never got a chance to come back home before... well..."

When Chris didn't continue, Evan almost shouted "Before what?" He was once again shushed by everyone in the library. "Before what?" he whispered.

"Before she really was kidnapped. By our enemy," Chris said.

"Kidnapped by the enemy? Oh, your safe place sounds _very_ safe," Evan said. "Please note the sarcasm."

"I really want to go to your safe place now," Isabelle said. "Once again, sarcasm." She stood from the table. "Come on, Evan. I don't exactly trust these people." Evan rose after her and followed her towards the door.

"You can't just leave," Chris said. "We're going to need your help if we're going to find her. We got a prophecy about you kids from Kansas."

"Prophecy, you say?" Evan asked, pulling Isabelle back to the table but not sitting down.

"Yes, prophecy," Derek said. "That's why I came here." Evan remembered Derek coming to the school a week later than everyone else.

"What is it?" Isabelle asked. Derek and Chris exchanged looks that seemed very suspicious to Evan.

"Um... I don't remember it exactly. And it has to be exact so that no one gets too confused," Derek obviously lied.

"You are lying. You remember it," Isabelle said. "You just don't want to tell us. Why?"

"No, really, it was very complicated and hard to remember," Chris said. "We'll tell you when we arrive at camp."

"So if we come with you, will we be able to find Hannah Grace?" Evan asked.

"There is a possibility we will find her. Hopefully," Chris said.

"Hopefully?" said Isabelle. "Only hopefully?"

"Yeah. Hopefully. Are you coming or not?"

"I guess. As long as you promise that we can talk to our families," Isabelle said.

"I promise," Chris said. "Scout's honor."

"Okay. I'll come if Isabelle is. I just need to call my mom first," Evan said.

"Oh, you cannot use a cell phone," Chris said. "Or any electronics. It sends all monsters to you. It's like saying 'Hey, free all you can eat buffet!'."

"Okay then. I will send her a letter in the mail."

"Where's this camp you've been talking about?" Isabelle asked.

"Long Island, New York," Derek answered.

"Let's get going," Chris said, standing and herding the three eighth graders out the door.

_**Jason**_

"Piper!" Jason shouted over the noise. "Piper, where are you?"

"Over here!" he heard. "Jason, Hazel is hurt! Hurry!"

"I'm coming!" he yelled back. The three of them had been in this cave for what seemed like days. The crew of the Argo II had split up in order to get things done. They wanted to find the House of Hades in good time and in the process, Jason, Piper, and Hazel got trapped in this stupid cave.

"What's wrong?" Jason asked. "Oh." He no longer needed a explanation when he saw Hazel's beaten form. She had an ugly gash down her arm and her face was a sickly green color. She wasn't even conscious. The noise quickly subsided.

"Yeah. We've got to get out of here," Piper said.

"How?" Jason asked. "The opening collapsed. And our tunnel expert is unconscious."

"We need to get her some ambrosia or nectar first." Piper tried to wake Hazel up and succeeded. But Hazel wouldn't eat anything. The only way Jason could describe her attitude was that she acting like a little child who didn't want to do something. "Come on, Hazel, you've got to eat this," Piper said in desperation. "You have to."

"Fine," Hazel mumbled. She opened her mouth and Piper quickly shoved a piece of ambrosia into her mouth. Hazel slowly chewed and swallowed. The color trickled back into her face slowly but surely. "Thanks," she said as she sat up.

The rumbling noise came back as quickly as it had left.

"Let's get out of here!" Piper shouted, helping Hazel stand.

"Go that way, Jason!" Hazel yelled. She pointed to the left. Jason led the way. Then Jason collapsed in convulsions.

_**Isabelle**_

Isabelle felt a shock go through her body. Her eyes blacked over and she felt herself fall to the floor. She saw a scene through someone else's eyes. She saw two girls. They both had dark skin, but one looked much younger. The younger one had frizzy brown hair and warm brown eyes. She was just getting off the floor. The older one had choppy brown hair, and it looked as if she had cut it herself. She had eyes that kept changing colors. Isabelle had no idea what color they really were.

"Go that way, Jason!" the young girl shouted. The person Isabelle assumed was named Jason started running in the direction the younger girl was pointing. Then he fell to the floor in a seizure.

Isabelle came to and found herself on the floor. The first thing she saw were Evan's dark brown eyes. He was holding her in his arms tightly as if he would never let her go. Second, she saw Derek and Chris bending down with the librarian standing over all of them.

"Isabelle?" he asked. "Isabelle, come on, wake up." She thought she could see tears in his eyes. But she knew she must have been seeing things. Evan never cried. _Ever_.

"I believe you," she said to Chris. "I'll come with you."

"What? Why? What did you see?" Evan asked as he helped her sit up.

"I saw... through someone else's eyes," she said. She explained what she saw. Chris turned whiter with every word.

"Are you sure that's what you saw?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?" Isabelle said.

"Let's get back to camp." Chris led the way out of the room. And once again, they ran into Mrs. Andrews.

"This is the second time I have seen you three in the halls during a class period," she said. "You will all serve detention tonight after school."

The students started arguing all at once. Mrs. Andrews put her hand up.

"Would you like a week added to that?"

"No, ma'am," they said in unison.

"Then get to class." All four teenagers rushed away quickly.

"Let's get out of here before she comes after us," Chris said as he hurried towards the front door.

"I thought I said to get to class," the teacher said. Or at least what used to be their teacher. In her place now stood a strange creature. She had the same head, but the body of a lion and a barbed tail.

"You did. But we have places to be," Chris said, pulling a sword out of thin air, or so it seemed. "Back off, manticore."

"Or not. Those half-bloods are mine." She swung her tail and four spikes flew and stuck through the shoulders of Isabelle and Evan's shirt. One grazed Isabelle's shoulder and she shouted in agony. Evan gave her a concerned look.

"No, they are going to Camp Half-blood. And there is nothing you can do about it."

"Oh, there is. My mistress sent me to find them. They cannot be allowed to go to your weak camp."

"Too bad. Take a hint. No one likes you." Chris swung the sword and it went through the teacher as if it was going through water with a loud _hiss. _Isabelle screamed again in pain. Her arm felt as if it was on fire.

"That won't kill you. It will only hurt for a little while," Chris said as his sword shrank into a Swiss army knife. He pulled the spikes out of both Isabelle and Evan's shirts.

"Let's get to this camp of yours," Evan said, "preferably _before_ we get killed."


	8. The Prophecy

_**Jill Brown**_

Jill walked through the halls in between classes. She had a hall pass to see the principal about some stupid thing her older sister did. But on her way there, she saw Evan and Isabelle, her two best friends, running out the front door with two other teens. Jill decided to bail on her sister- it wasn't like Michelle actually needed her help- and follow the suspicious looking teenagers out the door. Her grass green eye squinted at them.

"Where are you guys going?" she asked. Evan and Isabelle both jumped.

"We are going to the library," Evan said.

"Library's inside." Jill always knew when her friends were lying. She quickly caught up to them. "Where are you really going?"

"Okay, you are not going to believe this," Isabelle said. "But we- as in the two of us and Hannah Grace- are demigods. Half god, half mortal."

Derek Young sniffed the air. He was one of the new kids in the eighth grade. "Wait a minute." He sniffed closer to Jill. "She's a half-blood. Not as powerful as those two," he said, pointing to Evan and Isabelle, "but powerful." Jill had no idea what that meant. "Let's take her with us."

"Come on, Jill," Evan said. "We're going on a field trip to New York." Jill felt a jolt go down her spine. She had had a crush on Evan for as long as she could remember. But he obviously liked Isabelle. And that made Jill hate her more than she already did. Let's back up a bit and explain.

Since Isabelle had moved to Hartsville a few years back, she had taken Jill's place as Hannah Grace's number one friend. And as Evan's girlfriend. Jill could admit that she held a grudge. But she did think Isabelle was a good friend. Don't get her wrong, she still loved her three friends like siblings. She just had a little resentment, that's all. Sibling rivalry.

"Jill, are you coming?" Evan asked.

"Oh, yeah, I'm coming. So what's going on?" she asked. Isabelle and Evan took turns explaining what happened and why they were going where they were. As they spoke, she pulled her dirt brown hair into a ponytail. The guy Isabelle named as Chris led them towards the bus stop.

"The bus doesn't come until noon, you know," Jill told him. The time at that point was 10:49 AM. "We've got at least an hour to kill. Let's go get some lunch or something. You guys can explain everything then. And maybe you," she said, pointing to Derek, "will remember your prophecy." Evan, Isabelle, and Jill debated about where to eat. Jill won the argument with the best pizza place in town, Pizza Inn. Surprisingly, their best food was their salads.

"So exactly what is going on?" Isabelle asked as the three friends scooted into one side of the booth, and Chris and Derek into the other.

"Yeah, can you tell us the prophecy?" Jill asked. The two teenagers in the seat across from her stared at their hands in silence.

"Hello?" Evan said. "Earth to weirdos?"

"I know. I'm not sure you guys need to know just yet," Chris said.

"Yeah, we do," Isabelle said.

"Chris, just tell them!" Derek said, giving the older boy a pleading look.

"Fine. I'll tell you. But you have to promise not to freak out." He looked at his hands once more, obviously deep in thought. "It goes like this:

_Four demigods wielded in the sunflower land,_

_Will reach out against the villainous to take a stand,_

_One to be of power beyond imagination, _

_A reminder of the wonderful abundant creation._

_Three to be of the elder gods,_

_One to have resentment, anger, and fraud._

_To travel across the ancient seas,_

_Hope anew and dreams unseen._

_A promise spoke_

_And a promise broken._

_But as the goddess rises again,_

_They are to be thrown back by a giant's hand._

_Only three to live,_

_One their life to give,_

_With too much pain to comprehend,_

_To the depths of the Underworld this one descends,_

_To save the lives of all the seven,_

_And not only them, but their heart brethren._

Everyone sat and stared in silence as the realization crept in. Only three of them would live. One would suffer vast amounts of pain falling into the darkest parts of the Underworld. And they all knew who the prophecy spoke of. It meant the four demigod raised in Kansas. The sunflower state. A promise spoken and a promise broken seemed simple enough. Everything else was a mystery to Jill.

"That's... cheery," Evan declared.

"I told you it wasn't a good idea," Chris told Derek. "Now they will never accept it!"

"I have a question," Jill said. "Is there any way to avoid this?"

"Not really."

"Then we have no choice. Let's go to this camp of yours."

"Let's not take the bus," Chris said. "I'll IM Chiron and Derek, you keep them safe." He walked off.

"So anything else you want to tell us?" Isabelle asked.

"Nope. Except that you guys are really, really powerful." With that, the table fell silent until Chris returned.

"Chiron's sending the Party Ponies," he announced. "This should be fun."

"Excuse me, but who's Chiron?" Jill asked tentatively.

"Chiron is Camp Half-blood's director. You'll love him."

"Sure we will," Evan said. "Uh huh." A blur passed by the window.

"Looks like they're here," Chris said, leading the kids out of the restaurant after paying.

""What the..." Evan's voice trailed off as he stared at the massive creatures in front of him. There must have been hundreds of them. Jill was amazed. She was looking at a centaur. And actual living centaur. Wow.

"So can you guys give us a lift home?" Derek asked the centaurs.

"Of course, satyr dude!" one of the beasts said. "Hop aboard!" Derek swung up onto the centaur.

"Are you guys coming?" Derek asked, smiling in glee.

"Why not?" Isabelle said while climbing aboard another centaur. Evan help Jill get onto another horse man, and then climbed onto another.

"Party Ponies, to Camp!" one shouted through the crowd. Somehow, they heard him and began to clear out.

"Won't people freak out seeing centaurs?" Jill asked the one she was riding.

"They can't see us for what we really are. A thing called the Mist blocks their view of us," the centaur replied.

"What's your name?" Jill asked.

"Henry. Henry Ripley."

"Jill. Jill Brown."

"Nice to meet you, Jill. Hold on tight." Henry took off at a speed that should not have been possible. Jill screamed and held tight. In only a matter of minutes, they came to a stop.

"You cannot tell me we are in New York already," she said.

"We are in New York already," Henry announced, lowering himself so that Jill could dismount with ease.

"Thank you, Henry. It was nice to meet you," she said, and she curtsied.

"You as well, miss. I will be looking forward to our next meeting."

"As will I." Jill looked to her friends, who were also dismounting. She took a minute to take in her surroundings. They were on top of a hill, with a huge pine tree to their left. They had a beautiful view of a camp of some kind. Jill guessed that this was the camp they had been talking about. _Camp Half-Blood, here I come_, she thought. _Good luck. You are going to need it._


	9. Claimed

**_Nico_**

"Move, Nico!" Frank yelled at him. Nico dove to the floor. The noise subsided as he covered his head.

"Is everyone alright?" Leo asked.

"I'm good," said Nico.

"All good here," Hazel shouted across the room where Piper, Jason, and herself were standing. Nico pulled himself up. How did they get in the same cave, you may ask? Well, Jason thought he heard talking on the other side of a pile of rocks. Those other voices happened to be Nico, Leo, and Frank. Hazel shouted to them and they began to work on the rocks. Then they all fell. And now they were here.

"Uh, guys, you might want to see this," Piper said, waving them over.

"What the heck is that?" Jason asked as the other three boys made their way over. There, underneath where the rock pile once was, was some kind of ice block. And inside that was a girl that looked all too familiar.

"That looks... like a person!" Leo exclaimed.

"Hannah Grace," Jason muttered, barely audible to everyone but Nico.

"What?" Frank asked.

"Hannah Grace," Jason said louder. "I think that is Hannah Grace."

"We've got to get her out of there," Nico said, kneeling next to the block. "Come on!" He pulled his sword out of its sheath and began to chip away. Except that he learnt quickly that it was liquid and not ice. "What?" He leaned down and grabbed her hand. He tried to pull her out, but found he wasn't strong enough. "Help, please," he pleaded with the others. Jason and Frank helped him pull her out. Soon, Hannah Grace was out of the water and in Nico's arms.

"We need to get her some ambrosia or nectar," Hazel said. She pulled a canteen out of her bag and let it drip into Hannah Grace's open mouth. They all waited in silence for Hannah Grace to regain consciousness. Nico felt tears coming to his eyes.

"Wake up, Hannah Grace," he muttered. "Come on, Hannah Grace. You're stronger than this. Wake up." After what seemed like an eternity, Hannah Grace starting coughing violently.

"Nico?" she said softly. Her eyes slowly opened. They were a sickly brown and gold color. Nico blinked and when he opened them, Hannah Grace's eyes were their happy sea green color again. "Nico?" she said again, this time a little louder.

"Good morning," Nico said. "Welcome to the House of Hades."

"Oh my gosh, Nico!" Hannah Grace exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close. "I missed you so much," she whispered softly into his ear. He felt a jolt go through his body and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I missed you, too," Nico mumbled back. He buried his face in her hair and closed his eyes. Someone cleared their throat above them. Nico looked up and saw the five demigods observing the scene. "We should get going," Nico said, helping Hannah Grace stand. "We've got to reach the Doors as soon as possible."

"I'm not even sure that Annabeth and Percy are alive anymore," Hannah Grace said. "Gaea... Gaea captured me from Tar- from Tarta-"

"Tartarus?" Nico whispered to her. She only nodded. "What were you doing there?"

"I escaped from Gaea after she kidnapped me from camp," Hannah Grace said. "I went to Tartarus so she couldn't use me. To hurt you or anyone else." She was silent for a minute. "But that obviously didn't work. Because she got me anyways. She took me out of Tartarus and that's the last thing I remember. She did something to me. Get away from me!" She backed up and waved everyone away. "Back off! I don't want to hurt anyone!"

"Don't worry," Piper said, putting her hands up as if to hold Hannah Grace off. "No one will come near you. I promise." Piper waved everyone behind her. Nico didn't comply.

"No! Hannah Grace, you're fine! You are not dangerous," he said.

"Yes, I am! I agreed!" Hannah Grace shouted.

"Agreed to what?" Jason asked.

"I agreed to help her because she was hurting Toby! I gave her permission to use me! The fact that I'm where you guys are means I'm dangerous. I will kill you if she tells me to."

"Alright then," Hazel said.

"We've got to get away from her," Frank said.

"No! She's fine! Lay off!" Nico protested.

"Nico. She knows she's dangerous. She is trying to save us." Frank and Nico had a stare down. Nico looked to Hannah Grace pleadingly, but she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Nico, leave," she almost whispered. "I don't want to hurt you. Please, Nico. Leave."

"Hannah Grace, I can't leave you," Nico told her. "Not again."

"Please, I don't want to hurt you." She gave him a sad look. "You need to go. Lead them to the Doors." Hannah Grace took his hand. "You've got to. You promised Percy."

"I also promised that I'd find you. And now that I have, I can't leave you." Nico pulled her to him and held her tight. "I'm not letting you go again," he whispered into her ear.

"You have to. I don't want to hurt you," Hannah Grace whispered soothingly. "She's got me. I'm her tool. She'll use me against you. Please, Nico, I'm begging you. Go." She pulled back from him, but held onto his hands. "Not everyone will get out of this, Nico. And I don't want that to be you." Nico felt her hands shake. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head. "Go!" she somehow managed to say. She fell to the floor in convulsions.

"Come on, Nico!" Jason called as everyone moved away. Nico was frozen to the spot. Frank scooped him up and ran. They got to the other side of the room before Hannah Grace stopped shaking. She slowly stood, looking perfectly fine.

"What happened?" she asked. She didn't seem to have any recollection of what just happened.

"I have no idea," Leo said, "but you seem fine now."

"Let's get to the Doors," Hannah Grace said.

"Wha- Just a minute ago you said we needed to get as far away from you as we could," said Frank.

"What are you talking about? Hannah Grace asked, heading off down the tunnel to the right. "Are you guys coming?" Everyone exchanged concerned glances as they followed her down the tunnel.

**_Isabelle_**

Isabelle thought Camp Half-Blood was amazing. She didn't get to enjoy it for very long, though. Chiron called her, Evan, and Jill to the Big House after a few hours of them roaming around. Everybody pointed at them and muttered things like "Those are Hannah Grace's friends," or "Their the ones from Kansas," or "That one's cute." The last one was more in Evan's direction than the other two. And thankfully, they didn't hear it from any boys.

"Children, I called you here because of the prophecy that you heard about you," Chiron said. "It is most definitely about you and Hannah Grace."

"So what do you need us to do?" Jill asked.

"Well, first Hannah Grace must return. But she's been missing for months. I'm not sure when she will return. And," he added, "seeing that it's Friday, you can practice during capture the flag tonight. Hopefully, you will be claimed before that."

"Claimed?" Evan asked.

"Your godly parent will claim you as their child," Chiron explained.

"So when will this happen?" Isabelle wondered aloud.

"Soon. Hopefully very soon. Until then, you will be training with the Hermes cabin. So, welcome to Camp Half-Blood. Good luck."

"Thanks," Jill said as the three exited the building.

"Well, that was fun," Evan said. "Let's go find the Hermes cabin." At that moment, the sky went dark. Isabelle saw a flash and then her vision went white. It cleared quickly. When it did, she found herself standing in a black crater- and she was completely fine. "What are you guys staring at?" she asked. Evan and Jill were indeed staring, their mouths gaping.

"Look at yourself," Evan said. "You- You're glowing." She looked down to her body and she was, in fact, glowing. She was now wearing a dark blue dress that looked almost like the sky during a storm. It was as dark as her eyes, if not darker. In her hand was a bronze sword with a lightning bolt engraved upon the blade's surface.

"What the-" she stuttered. Chiron ran, or galloped, I suppose, out of the Big House.

"Hail, Isabelle Monroe, daughter of Zeus, Lord of the skies," he announced. He bowed. Somehow he bowed on his weird, strange horse legs. "You will be settled into the Zeus cabin as soon as possible." Chiron began to stand.

The next thing that happened was just as strange. Everything suddenly went dark, and Evan seemed to be the source. Isabelle couldn't see anything for a moment, and when she could, she saw Evan surrounded by skeletons that were _walking_. He was wearing clothes that were completely black. He was holding a sword made of some kind of pure black metal. Chiron bowed again.

"Hail, Evan Hindren, son of Hades, lord of the Underworld and of the dead," Chiron said once again in his announcer's voice. "You will also be settled into the Hades cabin as soon as possible." Once again, Chiron began to stand.

The light seemed to bend. "What now?" Isabelle said. "Is it just that time of day?" This time, Jill was the center of the bend in the light. Tons of plants sprang from nowhere, and Jill was now wearing a green and brown dress. Her eyes were a sickly brown and gold color. Up around her shoulder and down her body like a sash was a belt of throwing knives. Chiron bowed once more with an almost scared expression on his face.

"Hail, Jill Brown, daughter of Demeter, goddess of the harvest. You will be settled into the Demeter cabin as soon as possible," Chiron said. He stayed on the ground for a moment, waiting to see if anyone else was to be claimed. Apparently, no one was because the sky lightened and everything returned to normal. He stood again.

"That doesn't sound right," Jill said.

"What do you mean?" Chiron asked.

"I don't think Demeter is my mother," she said.

"You seem to be a child of Demeter."

"But I don't think I am. Demeter doesn't sound correct. Any other goddesses of the earth?" Chiron didn't speak for a minute.

"You say, goddess of the earth?"

"Yes."

"That could be... But no, how would she have..."

"How would who have done what?" Isabelle asked.

"Never mind. For now, you should live in the Zeus cabin. Because I agree, Demeter doesn't sound right." He stopped to think for a moment. "One thing that puzzles me is this: How could Isabelle, Evan, and Hannah Grace, who are all children of the Big Three, not have been discovered sooner when you lived in the same place? And to add to that, Jill was there, also a demigod."

"I don't know," Evan said. "But where is the Hades cabin?"

"I'll have another cabin give you a tour," Chiron said, returning to the Big House with a troubled expression. "Brookelyn! Clarisse! Chloe!" he called. Three burly teenagers came over to the other three. "Brookelyn, show Jill around please. Clarisse, show Isabelle around. Chloe, please show Evan around."

"Fine," Clarisse said. She waved her hand at Isabelle. "Follow me." Isabelle tried her best to keep up with her.

"Where are we going exactly?" Isabelle asked.

"Where do you think? I have to show you around," Clarisse grumbled. "That's the Big House, that's Thalia's tree, that's the dining pavilion, that's the Golden Fleece," she said, pointing to the objects as they passed. "That's the dragon that guards the Fleece."

"Dragon, you say?" Isabelle asked.

"Yupp. And that is the Zeus cabin. Any questions?"

"Where can I get some spare clothes and toiletries?"

"The Hermes cabin gets that stuff for people." Clarisse walked away, looking annoyed.

"Alright then," Isabelle muttered as she walked into the Zeus cabin. In the middle was a huge statue of who Isabelle guessed to be Zeus. She looked for a bed, but didn't find one out in the open. She walked around for a minute and found an alcove that had been made into a kind of bunk. Pictures were taped to the wall. One had a girl with storm blue eyes and black short hair, a blonde boy who seemed very happy, and a younger girl, probably about six or seven who had blonde hair and grey eyes. Another showed a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes and a girl with choppy brown hair and colorful eyes that kept changing. Isabelle realized with a start that this was one of the girls from her vision.

"Hi!" Jill said as she ran in and startled Isabelle. "What's up?"

"Oh, just trying to find a place to sleep," Isabelle said.

"Who are they?" Jill asked, looking at the pictures.

"I don't know."

"That one looks like you," Jill said as she pointed to the blonde boy with blue eyes in the picture with the familiar girl.

"Does not."

"Does, too."

"Does not."

"Whatever." Some kind of horn sounded through camp. "Oh, Chloe said that meant it was dinner time."

"Let's go find Evan." The girls raced out of the cabin.

"Where's the Hades cabin?" Isabelle asked.

"I'm going with the big scary one over there," Jill replied, pointing towards the black cabin with freaky green torches outside. Isabelle almost dropped the sword in her hand as she tripped over the dress she was wearing.

"Stupid dress," she muttered. Jill pounded on the door and Evan opened it.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Dinner time," Isabelle said as she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the pavilion.

"Okay, I get it. It is time for dinner." They all stood trying to find a relatively empty table.

"You have to sit at the Hades table," someone said to Evan.

"What?" he asked as all three turned around to find a pretty girl with dark brown hair and lots of makeup. Isabelle hated her instantly.

"You have to sit at the Hades table," she repeated. "And you two have to sit at the Zeus table. I'm Drew, by the way. Drew Tanaka. Daughter of Aphrodite." She laced her arm around Evan's. "I'll show you the way. Zeus table is over there." She dragged him away while he gave Isabelle a look over his shoulder that said help me. Isabelle and Jill exchanged glances and walked over to the Zeus table.

"Poor Evan," Jill said. "I hope he survives his encounter with the tyrant."


	10. Tell Nico

_**WARNING! THERE ARE SPOILERS FOR THE HOUSE OF HADES IN THIS STORY! I have already read the House of Hades and I'm incorporating that into this. But one thing that I will not add- Nico's if-you've-read-House-of-Hades-then-you-know-what-n ess. Sorry, but that does not fly with me. Rick ruined my favorite character for me. BOO YOU, RICK! (I still love you, though!)**_

_**And I'm really, REALLY sorry that I haven't written for so long! I have been having writers' block to the EXTREME! So sorry, unicorns!**_

_**Hazel**_

Hazel wasn't sure what was going on. Hannah Grace, who happened to be Percy's little sister, was acting really weird, and Hazel didn't even know her. Why would she be warning them to go away one minute, and then telling them to follow her the next? She didn't trust her. Hazel stuck close to Frank. She remembered what Hecate told her. She had to control the Mist. She had done it once before, but she needed to do it again.

They entered a huge room that looked like it was falling apart at the seams. It reminded Hazel of Arachne's cave. She shuddered and took Frank's hand. He smiled at her.

"What happens now?" Piper asked.

_We take over,_ a voice said over the cavern. Monsters poured from every direction. Hazel stood back to back with Frank and drew her _spatha_.

"Nico!" she said. "The scepter!" Nico drew the scepter, the tip glowing purple. The dead began to rise through cracks in the floor. She heard a rumbling and knew that the ceiling was about to cave in. "Follow me!" she shouted to anyone who would listen. Hannah Grace and Leo followed her down the corridor leading to the Doors of Death. The ceiling fell and Hazel could no longer see the others.

"Hazel!" Frank shouted. "Are you okay?"

"We're fine!" she yelled back.

"Go on to the Doors!" Jason said. "Go!" Hazel, Leo, and Hannah Grace continued down the hallway, Hazel looking at Hannah Grace suspiciously. She exchanged a wondering glance with Leo, and followed him down the long, dark corridor.

_**Evan**_

Evan was dragged away by Drew and taken to the Hades table. She seemed nice enough.

"You are handsome, you know that?" she said.

"Thanks, I guess," Evan said, extricating his arm from hers. Isabelle didn't seem to like her, and she usually had a very good take on people.

"Oh, come on, honey." Drew laced her arms around his neck. "You dating anybody?"

"No... How old are you?"

"Sixteen. That a problem?"

"Yes. If you will excuse me, I am going to go now." He walked to the table and Drew grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "Let- let go of me!" Her nails dug into his arm.

"You are one of the four, I'm sure of it," she snarled into his ear. Evan knew that if he wanted to, he could have hurt her, and hurt her badly. But Evan knew better. If he retaliated, that would only make it worse. "I can feel it."

"Is that an Aphrodite thing?" asked Evan.

"No. I just know."

"Ok-ay." The words "loony" and "bin" flew through his mind.

"And no. I'm not insane. I just like... younger men." She looked at him lustfully.

"Um... I'm not hungry anymore. I will hopefully not see you later." He wrenched his arm out of her grasp and ran. He ran as fast as he could. He didn't know where he was running, but he wanted to run away. Away from there, away from everyone, and especially away from Drew. He ran until he found himself at a cave, and the opening of it was covered with a big cloth.

"Hello," a girl said as she flung the cloth aside. "I felt you coming."

"Felt?" Evan said.

"Yep." She smiled at him. "I'm the Oracle. I see into the future, and the past. I see little snips and pieces here and there."

"Alright. My name is Evan." He stuck out his hand. She took it in her own.

"Rachel. Oh, you are one of the four. The four wielded in the sunflower state. You are indeed one of them."

"Okeydokey. Good to know. Who are the other three?"

"I won't know until I am in their presence. And even then, I will only know that they are there. See, since you are here alone, I know that you are one of them."

"Do you want me to bring my friends? You can figure out for sure."

"No, I'm getting ready to leave anyways." She ducked back into the cave and came back out with two bags. "Well, I'll see you around, Evan." She ran off into the woods. And that was when he realized that he had no idea where he was.

**_Hannah Grace_**

Hannah Grace knew she had no control. She was fighting. Fighting hard for control. But she was losing the battle, and she knew it. Gaea had control. Hannah Grace needed to warn Leo and the other girl. She fought for control over her arm. It moved a little bit, but not enough for them to notice.

_Fool,_ Gaea spoke into Hannah Grace's mind. _You will not be able to save them. I shall win. _Hannah Grace struggled, and finally won a few seconds of control.

"G-get ou-out!" she managed to choke out. Leo ran to her.

"Hazel!" he shouted. "Help!"

_You shall be punished for your misbehavior. _Hannah Grace could hear the smile in Gaea's voice. Then the pain started. It gradually became unbearable and her vision turned red at the edges. The most horrible part: she was unable to slip into unconsciousness. She screamed without realizing it.

"Get to the Doors!" she whispered into Leo's ear. "Tell- tell Nico I love him, okay?"

"O-okay."

"Promise me."

"I promise. I'll tell him." Leo was reluctant to go, but Hazel knew to pull him away.

"Go," she muttered. The pain was overwhelming. She moaned in agony. Finally her world turned black.


	11. Author's Note (sorry)

_**HEY GUYS!**_

_**I've got to start with this: I'm so, so, SOOO sorry for not updating for so long!**_

_**But I've got a good reason.**_

_**And I know, you guys are all like:**_

**What could possibly be more important than finishing your amazing stories? Come ON, WOMAN! WRITE!**

_**And this would be my response:**_

_**GEES! I'm sorry! But I'm writing a book! I've got a publisher and everything!**_

**_And you guys are like:_**

**WHAT?**

_**But yes, I am writing a book! It's called **__**The Spellbinders**__**! **_

**_YEAH! (squeals and excited jumping all around)_**

**_Anyways, I'll be posting the first chapter on Fictionpress, (my name is the same [hey, that rhymed!]), so please go check it out!_**

**_And no, I will not be updating my stories for some time._**

**_But please don't take me off your follow list, because then you'll never know what happens. (scream)_**

**_THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING SO SUPPORTIVE! YOU UNICORNS ARE AWESOME!_**


	12. As Good As Dead

_**Hey, unicorns! So sorry that this is so short! But here it is anyway!**_

_**Nico**_

"Waita go, Hazel!" Nico shouted across the room. They had just found their way to the Doors of Death and they had defeated Clytius.

"Well, that was fun," Leo said. Then his face went slack. "Uh, Nico-"

"Where's Hannah Grace?" Nico asked.

"Um... Well..." Leo rubbed the back of his neck.

"Where is she?" Nico asked again.

"She's down that hallway," Hazel said, a look of sympathy and worry on her face.

"What are you talking about?" Nico raced down the hall with Percy close behind. They found Hannah Grace on the floor, probably unconscious. "Hannah Grace!" he shouted as he put his hand under her head. "Hannah Grace, wake up!"

"Nico," Percy said. "We can't help her."

"What are you talking about? We have to help her!" Nico felt the tears coming to his eyes. "Get Piper in here! Please," he said.

"Fine. Whatever you say." Percy headed back down the hall and returned shortly with Piper. Everyone else followed, wanting to know what was going on.

Hannah Grace's eyes fluttered open. "No," she muttered. "Get... get away. She has... has control." Her eyes fell shut again.

"Piper," Nico said, "can you charmspeak Gaea away?"

"Maybe," Piper said doubtingly. "I'll try." She started muttering things to Hannah Grace. Nico wiped the tears away and waited with anxious hope. Piper sat back on her knees. "I'm not sure if that worked. She's not responding to anything." Nico bent down to listen to her breathing. But she wasn't breathing.

"Hannah Grace! Hannah Grace, please, wake up!" he said, trying to get her to breath again. "Please," he whispered.

Leo stepped forward. "She made me promise to tell you... to tell you that she loves you." Nico couldn't stop the tears now.

"Let's get going. We've got to get back to the ship," Annabeth said as she helped Piper to her feet. "Who wants to get Hannah Grace? We'll bring her with us." She choked a bit on her tears. "Besides, she might as well be my sister."

"Mine, too," Jason said. Piper nodded, but couldn't answer. Leo bent down next to Hannah Grace and muttered something in Spanish that sounded like, "_Vamos a echar de menos, chica"_ Nico decided to ask him about it later.

"Well, she is my sister," Percy said. Nico had never seen the son of Poseidon cry before. "I'll carry her."

"No," Nico said. "I'll get her." But he couldn't. He was still to weak from his time in the jar. He tried, but stumbled, catching her so her head didn't hit the ground.

"It's okay, Nico," Percy said. He took his little sister in his arms. He looked at Annabeth and they began to walk out of the cave. To Nico, Hannah Grace looked as good as dead.

**_Like I said, so sorry about the short length._**


	13. It's A Bit Late For That

_**Nico**_

Nico sat on his bed, trying to move. Trying to think. Trying to do anything. But he couldn't. His girlfriend- well, technically ex-girlfriend, was dying in the next room over. Or at least probably dying. _'She's dying, she's going to die,' _he thought. He covered his ears as if he could keep the thoughts out.

He heard a knock on the door. "Hey, Nico?" Hazel said as she stuck her head through the door. "Are you alright?"

"What do you think?" he said. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap like that."

"It's okay." She sat on the bed beside him. "But really, are you going to be alright?"

"Not right now." He smiled at her. "Ask me again tomorrow." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. The minute she walked out the door, his smile faded. His eyes drifted to the picture frame on his desk. That was all that was on its surface. It was a picture of him and Hannah Grace during the quest they went on after visiting Mount Olympus. They had taken a fun stop afterwards at Battery Park. They had asked some random stranger to take a picture for them. They had happily obliged and been nice to them. Hannah Grace had surprised him and climbed onto his back. He had almost fallen down, but he caught them both and the strangers had taken the picture. Hannah Grace had laughed and so had he. It seemed like the only picture he had of himself where he was laughing. He smiled while he remembered everything that had happened that day. Then he remembered what was going on at that very moment.

"Yo, Nico?" Percy called down the hall.

"Yeah?" His voice broke.

"Are you alright?" Percy asked as he stuck his head into the room.

"I- I'm fine." Nico stood up. "How is she?"

"There's only so much that Annabeth can do. But she's our best healer. She's doing what she can."

"Yeah, yeah, that makes sense." Nico started to pace. "Do you think she's going to make it?"

Percy was silent for a minute, staring at his shoes. "I don't know." Nico thought he might cry again. He didn't like crying. He didn't like crying one bit.

"Can... Can I see her?"

"Sure. Sure, of course you can," Percy said, leading him to his room. Annabeth sat next to the bed, trying to do something. She looked up and Nico could see tears in her eyes.

"Percy," she said, "I'm not sure if there's anything else I can do. If she's at going to at least survive, then she'll wake up in the next few hours. If she doesn't..." She shook her head. "I don't know what will happen to her."

Nico sat on the bed next to Hannah Grace. He took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her skin.

"We'll just... um, just be in there," Percy said as himself and Annabeth walked out.

"Hannah, oh, Hannah, what are we going to do with you?" Nico mumbled.

"Don't call me Hannah," she whispered.

"Hey," Nico smiled. "You're awake!"

"Yes, yes I am. But don't call me Hannah."

"Why not?" He looked perplexedly at her.

"I know too many brat children known as Hannah. Nope, I'm Hannah Grace. That's what makes me different." She pulled herself up to her forearms. "Hannah makes me seem like a brat. Hannah Grace makes me seem like a graceful _and_ bratty person. See, it's different."

Nico chuckled. "I see." She leaned up against the bed post.

"I missed you." She smiled. "I missed you a lot." She pulled him close to her and kissed him. She hugged him. He felt something wet on his shoulder and realized he was crying.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

"I thought I'd never see you again." She pulled back. "In fact, I was sure of it." Her smile disappeared. "You guys aren't safe. Where am I, again?"

"Percy's cabin," Nico said. "Why?"

"This doesn't look like the Poseidon cabin."

"No, Percy's cabin on the Argo II."

"I have to leave." She began to stand, but he pushed her back down.

"No," he said. "I'm not losing you again."

"We are not _doing_ this again," Hannah Grace whined.

"If you try to get up and leave, then we will be doing this again." She pondered that for a minute.

"Guess I'll risk it." She pushed against him as hard as she could. But he just laughed and pushed her back down, using his legs to keep her from kicking him. He held her down with his hands, just like he had so long before. He laughed at her feeble attempts to free herself. She slammed down onto the bed.

"Nico! Nico di Angelo, you had better let me go! You need to let me go, right now! Or else all of you will die! Let me go! She's going to use me! I'm sorry, Nico, just let me go! Please." Her usually playful green eyes were now dull. Her voice became quiet. "I'm begging you, Nico, please. You have to let me go. I want you to live."

"What are you going to do?" he asked. "Are you going to kill yourself to solve this problem? Huh?" He flipped himself over so that all her weight was on him. "I can't let you do that. I... I _won't_ let you do that."

"How are you going to stop me?" she said as she looked him straight in the eye. "Really, how are you going to stop me? What are you going to do?"

"I'll make you stay. I'll do anything to save you."

"You'd give up the world?" He was silent for a moment. He mumbled something she must not have heard. "What was that?"

"Yes," he said a bit louder.

"You had better not!" she exclaimed as she tried to climb off of him. He held her tight to him and didn't let her move. She struggled. "Nico! Don't you dare! You wouldn't-"

"But I would." He hadn't even realized it until he said it out loud. "I would give the world for you, Hannah Grace I-don't-know-your-middle-name Fredrickson."

"You really don't know my full name?" She smiled a little bit. "It's Hannah Grace Kayla Fredrickson."

"Well, then, Hannah Grace Kayla Fredrickson," he declared, "I would indeed give the world for you."

"Why would you do that?" Hannah Grace asked.

"I would do it for you because I... I..." He almost couldn't say it. He chuckled. "I love you." He started to laugh. "I love you, Hannah Grace. I really do. So I'm not letting you leave me." He flipped back over so that she would have no time to attempt an escape.

"Nico," she mumbled. "Nico, you need to let me go. If you love me, let me go. I don't want to hurt you, understand? Because I love you, too. I do. I don't want to hurt you. Not even the slightest bit." She held onto his t-shirt collar. "I love you, too." She kissed him. He felt a jolt go through his body. No matter how many times she kissed him, it always felt like the first time. "So you're letting me go?" She smiled at him.

He smiled back. "Not a chance." Her smile faded.

"Nico, you have-"

_**Hannah Grace**_

"I don't have to do anything. I'm going to get her out of your head, you understand?" He looked at her with fierce determination.

"I can hear her. I can hear her thoughts, her wants, her needs. Her plans. She craves," Hannah Grace said as she took his hand in her own, "blood. She craves blood. And not only blood. She wants demigod blood. She needs it, in fact. I can't let her use me to hurt you. I can't. I wouldn't be able to stand it, to live through it."

"I won't let her," Nico said.

"It's a bit late for that." She looked into his eyes again, those dark, dark brown pools she had looked into so long before. And she knew that she could never let him get hurt. "I love you," she whispered. "I'm not letting you get hurt. I won't let you get hurt. And I will figure out how to get her out of me. I will, but you are going to let me go."

"I can't strand you! I can't leave you on your own. I will never let you go. I won't." The song Safe ans Sound ran through her head.

_I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'll never let you go._

There were definitely tears. "Nico. You have to." She saw the tears in his own eyes. He crawled off of her and sat on the bed. She sat next to him. "Nico, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." She set her head on his shoulder, her black hair falling onto him like a waterfall. Tears fell from his eyes.

"I can't leave you," he finally said.

"And I can't hurt you."

"Then I guess we'll have to agree to disagree."

Percy busted through the door. "Sorry to interrupt," he announced, "but we've got a problem and need e decks. Except for Hannah Grace. You need to come with me." His green eyes looked sad. Nico was reluctant to go, but went after kissing Hannah Grace on the cheek.

"So where are we going?" she asked as she followed her older brother down the hall.

"Just moving you to a new room, that's all." He wouldn't look at her.

"Percy, what's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"You won't look at me."

"Yes, I will." His eyes darted to her feet and back.

"That doesn't exactly count." He opened one of the doors at the very end of the hall and ignored her statement.

"This is your new room," he said as he made room for her to pass. "Home sweet home." She walked in and found herself in storage.

"Uh, Percy, this is the storage room," she said.

"I'm sorry," Percy said. She heard a door close and a lock click. She spun around to find a closed door. "Percy!" Hannah Grace shouted. "Percy Jackson, let me out!" She pounded on the door. "Percy! I'm so going to kill you!" She looked around. It was pitch black.

**_Nico_**

Nico walked up the stairs to find Leo, Piper, Hazel, Frank, Jason, Annabeth, Coach Hedge, and Reyna all waiting for him. They were all staring at him like they were little kids trying to look innocent. "What did you need me for?" he asked.

"What?" Leo asked. "Oh, right, umm, let's see, you need to go with Reyna and Coach Hedge."

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"Because," Jason said, "they are going to take the Athena Partheonus back to camp."

"And," Frank added, "because... well, because-"

"Because you an shadow travel them there, little by little," Hazel said.

"Yeah!" Frank said. "That's it."

"O...k..." Nico muttered. "You guys are acting strange. When do we leave?"

"Right now," Coach Hedge said with a grim expression. Percy trudged up the stairs sadly.

"What's going on?" Nico asked. "What did you guys do?"

"Nothing!" Leo declared. "We didn't do anything. Unless you include being idiots, we are all innocent. We are definitely not locking people in closets." Piper smacked him. "Ouch!"

"Alright then. I'm gonna go get my stuff and say good bye to Hannah Gra-"

"No!" they all shouted in unison.

"What did you guys do?" Nico ran down stairs. Everyone but Reyna, Leo, and Coach Hedge followed. "Hannah! Hannah Grace!"

"Nico!" He heard from the storage closet. "Nico!"

"Hannah Grace, what's going on?"

"Percy locked me in this closet!" He could hear her hyperventilating. Percy seemed to have forgotten her extreme fear of the dark.

"I'm gonna get you out!" he said.

"No, you're not," Jason said. "She has to stay in there. For her own good."

"How is this for her own good?" Nico shouted. "You are supposed to be like family! All of you! Did you all really decide this was what you needed to do?" He turned to Percy. "You are her brother, for the gods' sakes! Why would you even consider this?" Everyone stared at the floor.

"Because," Annabeth said, "this is for the best. We'll keep her there until we figure out how to get rid of Gaea."

Hannah Grace screamed from her prison. "Nico!" she shrieked. "Nico, please!" He could hear her crying and it broke his heart. He immediately shadow-traveled to her side. She collapsed into his arms in violent sobs. He shadow-traveled back to the others.

"Shame on you. On all of you!"


	14. Problems on the Argo II

_**Hey, unicorns! Here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy! And I know it's short. Sorry, didn't have a lot of time this week. Read on, my minions! **_

_**Hannah Grace**_

Hannah Grace felt betrayed. Betrayed by her friends. Betrayed by Jason, Leo, and Piper. They might as well have been her siblings. And then Percy. Percy went and locked her into a flipping closet when he knew- he knew!- she was deathly afraid of the dark. Percy! She couldn't believe it. She would probably never trust her brother again like she had. She still couldn't stop crying. She had been all alone. In the pitch black darkness. And she felt as if she would be there for the rest of her life.

"How dare you do that! To another living being!" Nico shouted. "I can't believe any of you would even think of that!" He held Hannah Grace in a tight hug. "No one lays a hand on her. Not a single one of you. No one even looks at her funny, understand?" His glare looked almost deadly. No one would even look at her. And at that moment she hated them. All of them.

Percy was the first to break the silence. "Hannah Grace, I'm sorry. We didn't know what to do. You've got Gaea inside. What happens when she decides to take over?" She didn't answer. "Come on, sis. I still love y-"

"Don't even!" she shouted. "Don't even go there! I hate you! All of you! Just stay away from me! I never want to see any of you again!" The floors began to shake. "I wish all of you were dead!" Jason tried to come forward and calm her down. "DO NOT TOUCH ME!" Her vision went red and the next thing she knew, the sixteen year old was on the floor with a bloody nose. "You are not my family!" She looked at Percy. All she felt for her brother was utter hatred and disgust. "And you," she said with her finger pointed in his direction, "are not my brother. You don't have the right to play the brother card. You didn't even know I existed until last year! You have no right to call yourself my brother!" Her voice softened a bit. "You're supposed to be my brother. My protector. What happened to that? After that, she couldn't remember anything.

_**Percy**_

Hannah Grace was terrifying. It didn't seem to him as if this was his little sister talking. Then her eyes turned a sickening brown with flecks of gold and he knew her temper had gotten the better of her and given Gaea a chance to take over.

He hadn't wanted to put her there, but the group had agreed it was for the best. He had been voted as the person to do it, but apparently it just made things worse had he had suspected it would.

Hannah Grace smiled. Nico stepped away, looking completely unsure of what to do. Hannah Grace spoke, but it was no longer her voice. "You demigods are so pitiful. Especially this body. She is probably the strongest of you in spirit, which is not saying much. But that's what makes her the best body to occupy." Gaea chuckled through Hannah Grace's mouth. Percy winced. "What's that, son of Poseidon? A bit uncomfortable?" She turned her attention to Jason. "And you, son of Jupiter, what happened to protecting this poor girl? That's what you promised her you would do, correct? Yes, I believe so." He looked down in shame, but then lifted his head with an expression of sheer determination. He drew his sword.

"Let's go, Dirt Face." Gaea laughed a sick and evil laugh.

"You really think you'll be able to defeat me? What, with this skill and power?" She drew Courage. "Alright, then, I'll humor you." She jabbed and knocked the sword out of Jason's hand in a matter of seconds. "Anyone else want to challenge me?" No one spoke. "The so-called saviors of Olympus can't even speak? Or you, son of Hades? Do you have anything to say?"

Nico looked at her. "I will kill you," he said, "if you don't leave Hannah Grace alone. Have me instead. Just let her go."

Gaea's laugh reverberated through the ship. "I might just take you up on that." Her eyes rolled to the top of her head and she fell to the floor. Nico stumbled, and when he opened his eyes, they were Gaea's eyes, not his.

**_Like I said, I know it's super short, but I didn't have a lot of time. _**


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